Tractor hitch



Dec. 14,1926. 1,611,075

J. T. RITENOUR 4 'TRACTOR HITCH Filed Nov. 27. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l i I 14a ze 46 lllllllllll "-m'" INVENTOR ATTORNE( Dec. 14 1926. v 1,611,075

' J. T. RITENOUR l TRAQTOR HITGH Filed Nov. 27. 1925 s sheets-sheet' 2.

AI IORNEY Dec. 14,1926. 1,611,075

` J. T.R|TENOUR TRACTOR HITCH.

Filed Nov; 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESS: A' 'oRNEV einen; .by

Jpnnm; Rmnnonn, 'onvoinoieninnimgn y @inganni-'filed November logs; :cemeteri- `z1jn1r i This invention relatos to oertenfovelm d@ f1.1@ l111,1.191-@5 nient ftoinekef 'sfcrai'ghtingle tnr'n 'etjtlie completion uof' theffitet' lsvvfeth.-'f'I`1jec t` o'js nin ,im 'fimiliarvifhrpnn envio veritiere n'oludo,lhtolesfwhohl guidon! fornoing .implement,- dui'iiig tijacti'on, cnved fashion at they coifni ofthegiain linefof :olol The termiche implement? bofeft 'dopeljationnpo 'u the gijelnf Qt the "coiinijsof the. field and thofetoofhervest thivgren it is neceesery too,manuallyciitfthegrgtin.

It is therefore one Qf/thoriiiopel'obeote of the inventionto provide fa novelhit'cli` l lwhich will guicle the implement, upon traf'vel of the tractor in a tu1 niI 1'gcliiieetioinSo` 'sis to maneuver the implement toelposition to sta-rt cutting of .the l tielly at 'right angelsto'thejswath, enll to` come# into Contactl With the gifziingatthe corners of the grainline, By this aiangef ment it isohvious that .gijeetjedventsigeeereattained in the cultivating (gf-row crepe.V

'Afuithelj 4Object ofthe invention the v Y provision of a hitch ofthe class descijibecl whereinn farming. implement. Will he guided for traction cloeetoga-fence encloeingthe 'elcl and be tractioneclat the corners entting i 'curved swath. 45

Y rangement and a squre fswvth instead of the usual corner Other objects Will appear heeinefter. n 'The :invention consiste in the novel arcombination' .oft lpa'its to be hereinafter described anclelaiinefl.

The invention Willloebest unclerstooclby -ieiei'ences to the accompanying drziwinge, .il-

lustmting -o the' ypreferred om of construc- 1 tion andin which:

9 ihaffrragnientaify sectional 'VeWrof v o lthe inventi'onftek Showing, Y various poe .tifiilllely the lis'ual steering Zoli. eeyepprovod :typo 'leus connecting a tipi-actor to a farming Virnfiple-v side lelevfitionel view "of the g Fig. freginentarysectionel vievv ott the invention" t'kenf siibtntilly oiif"line rFigf"isnA fragmentary sectional view of the invention tekenv lsnlosteiit-iSilly Oi1`'lin'e A mentari; sectional' vieiv oit -l "thief/invention i .enl "siibstntillly 'o'nv line @w1-50eme. 1; e i

ve0 einen@ on fle@ isfeffragmentary Sectional View diedi e 'the ffrleneoofo no l momitedlupoo wheels' 1,7 ondiep *13min element maybe one olf. tho`1nony-hervethe" implements Deed' farming. ot-theniieee oflbeltls fixed ,oentrellyftheretoibv 11;

o by, ,felleiore i'oo 105 'of @be nee-.1? is' .e einen@ Y plate 27 having reduced end vportions 28' bearing in supporting arms 29 fixed to the frame as atv30. The. reduced end portions 28. serve tov permit free rotation of theconnecting plate and for compensating for vertical' movement of the frame to reduce the strain at the bearing points thereof. Y

To the connecting plate 27,'at one end thereof, is connected a draw bar 3l by means of a removable pivot pin 32. insertableA through the connecting plate and end plates 33 iiXed tothe draw bar as at 34. The draw rbar 3l extends forwardly of the implement towardthe tractor 19 and is pivotally connected to the connecting plate by means of a removable pivot pin 35 insertable through the end of the draw bar and conf iiecting plate and a bracket 35.

- In order to support the forward end of the implement in the position illustrated inFi l there is provided asupporting 'rod 3 6 having universal joint connections, indicatedat r3'?, to the frame 16 and draw` bar 3l, provision of the universalljoint connections being to permit movement of theV draw bar relative to the frame When traction is induced Vto the implement through the medium of the tractor.. Y. As aforesaid mentioned it is an ob]ect of the invention to induce movement' to the iiii-V plement to cause the same to "traction Va square corner atthe end of a .swath when guided'to start anew path substantially at right angles With respect thereto and this is'accomplished through the medium of a combination of elements which Will noiv be described. I Y

Y At a` predetermined point Von the drawbar I mount by suitable means a guide plate S8 ,having a circular shaped yoke portion 39 providing a trackivay 40 for a roller member 4l mounted for rotation on a pivot arm 42.

l This pivot arm 42 is pivotally connected to slidablysupported by a bracket 47 carried.

bythe pivot arm 42 at the under side lthereof. This bracket 47 is provided with depending spaced angled ends 48 slidablysiipporting the connecting rod 45 as above men'- tioned, and interposed betweenthe angled ends anda collar 49 ofthe connecting i'od'is a spring niember'O. TheV end of the con-v necting rodvcarrying this spring member is'threaded to receive a suitable niit` 5l whereby the connecting rod can be adJusted duce turning movement 'relatively to its slidable :support The s rin(r member is ada )ted to serveas a shock Vabsorber relieving the Vsti-ain on the bracket when the connecting rod is operated to in- Y to the ntractor' through cooperation with the Y connecting link 44.' rlhis'spring member further serves to permit movement of the connecting rod 45 -before movement is imparted `to the pivot arm 42 thereby eliminating sudden Jerks be- "tween the operating parts of the 'turningY mechanism. i Y

Having described the preferred foi-m of construction ofmy invention I will noiv proceed to give a brief description of the operation of the same in .such language as will be u best understood by those skilled in the art.

To fully understand the operation ofthe invention, reference is to be made to Fig. l()

of the drawings illustrating various posi.-

tions of the tractor rel ative-to the implement. I

-In the operation `of the tractor, the saine is connected to theV implement through the medium Yof. the draiv bar V8l, carrying theA pivot arm 42 connected in the' manner herein stated to connecting members l44 and 45 which are in turn connected to the implenient and tractor respectively.

As is noted from observation of the drawing, the Vtractor is located forwardly on the right hand side -of the implement'fo'r fthe purpose of keeping the tractor fronrmoviiig over the grain. For the purpose of describ` ing the variousmovements of the tractor'and implement assume that the tractor is draw@ ing the implementY over a iield in substantially av straight path.v and that' the end of the grain field has now beenY reached `and it is the desire of the operator to maneuver the tractor so as to compel the iii'ipleii'ie'ntto turn asquare corner. To do this the opeiatoi' guides the tractor ina circular direc tion away lfrom the straight path travelled `and as the tractor takes this courre the iinplement will be turned to pivot rearwardly of the tractor on the Wheel 17 having aiposition relative to the tractores illustrated in the diagramiiiatical vieiv A of Fig. l0. The

operator of the tractor having guided 'he tractor a sufficient distance olf of its course`r steers'tlie tractor around to returnto' assume a position at an angle relatively to' the iinplcnienh it being pointed out that as the tractor moves to this position the iinivile'mentf Will pivot on its opposite Wheel 1S 'assumingV the position relative to the tractor ai illusV trated in the diagrammatical vienT ll of the The operator of tlieftiactor noi-vV steers the tractor so as tocaiise the saineio dra Wing.

turn in toward the implement and a position' on a straight line ivith lthe edge v of the grain and in Vassuming this, position tlie'impleincnt revolves in a circular direction onbothof its Wheels having an imaginary pivot point approximately in the' center j of Vthe "frame It will vbe noted. that ltheV `iinpi'enient'11n1asniming this position does .not

have "a tendency-to'inove'fforward or change its position other th ari-"turning in' a .circula r 1 direction ojn its .imag-inarv pivot. peiiitQ'vto assume,V thepositi'on above mentioned asbest i.. i ,n ,Y illustratedwin thediag-ranimatical view C of Fig. 10. Thetractor continuesits course,` the driver steeringthe tractor to bring the inside wheels close to the'grain lineV and as the tractor continues a straight course of l travel the implement begins topivot on its wheel i8 toy assume aposition in alignment with the swath line Vof the grainV as illustrated in the diagrammatical view D of Fig. 10. The tractor and .implement in this 'position are now ready to proceed .in a forward straight path .until the next corner is reached at which time the operation brieiiy described above is repeated.

Itis apparent bodied. in the invention compels turning traction of the implement in an opposite di,- rectionV to turning directionk of the tractor and in doing so the implement while being tractored arounda grain field cuts each'corner at. a straight angle rather than' on a curved angle as is the rcase with hitches of which I am familiar .with prior Vto my invention. t y

It is to beunderstood that my novel hitch can be provided as a connection between a tractor and any wheel-carried farming implement' withoutdestroying the kutility of the same. v

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it is to be understood that various changes and alterations may be carried outk during manufacture without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

The invention having' been set forth, what I claimas new and useful is: Y Y

A1. In a hitch of the class described, the combination with a farming implement and a tractor, of a draw `bar providing yai connection" between lthe implement andl the tractor, means for compelling turning traetion of the implement in an'opposite direction to the" turningtraction'of the tract-or, said means includingva Vmember pivotally supported bythe drawbar, a connectionrbe.-

tween the member and the implement, a conmeeting member having one end portion' "pivotally connected tothe tractor,

yieldable connection Ybetween thepivotally mounted member and the opposite end pore tion of the connecting member.

2; In a'liitch of the class/described includf ing a draw' bar, ya guide member carried by the drawv bar and defining a track way,fa

connecting vlink having an end portion con` nected to the frame of a farming implement, Y. a connecting rod having an end portionv con-V that tlie novel hitch emer` and av nected i to .a tragitti?, and. an'V afrinwhavingfone end Iportion .pivota'lly connected; 4to the gu'id.`v

ying'iii'emb'er and havingaii opposite fend porL ytion.iw'orlnlngover jthe #tracky `ivay, the .oppor .fr r-.f,v,' i.-

site endl portion oftheconnecting ilink :being nectioni between' the "farm Aandf:the opposite i end portion of the connecting rod. ,j p bed includ- 3. In a hitch of the class descri ing a connecting plate, a draw ba-r having an end portion pivotally connected to an end portion ofthe connecting plate and having an opposite end portionpivotally connected. to-y a-farming implement, any arm pivotally vsupported by the draw bar and movable to a farming 'im1oleme1`it,VV an arm pivotally supported the draw bar 'and movableY through an are of Va circle, a connecting rod having an en d portion connected to the opv posite end portion 'of the connectingY plate, a

. connecting link having anV end portion cony nected to the farming implementand an opposite end portion connected to the arm, a yieldable connection between the arm yand the oppositeendportionof the connecting rod, and means proi'fiding` a guide for ,theV end portionof'the arm oppositethe'pivotal connection .thereof during movement Vof :the arm through they arel of a circle.y Y Y V n 5. In a hitchofthe class describedincluding a'suppo'rt,fa member mounted for pivotal movement on the support, abra'cket movable with the member, a! connecting member slidably supported Iby the bracket and having 'a shoulder thereon, a resilient member disposed between the shoulder and a yportionof ythe bracket, and a connecting Vlink opera;

sol

etA

lio

tively connected to the movable member. v

k6.--In anhitch vof the class described including a draw bar, a support on the draw bar having aportion providing a trackway, a

memberfoperatively mounted on the support I and having an end movable in the track-way, a bracket on :the pivotally mounted member,l

'a connecting rodv carried. 'for' slidable move# 4ment bythe bracket, a resilient-member retardingslidable movement of the connecting frod 'and a connecting link pivotally `conf lnecfted to the pivotally mounted memben i 7. 'In a hitch of the classV described including a draw har, apsupport on the draw bar `ivan lhaving a portion providing a track-Way, a member operatively mounted on the support and having an end movable in the track-Way, a bracket on the pivotally mounted member,

a connecting rod carried for slidable move-V mentb57 the bracket, avresilient member retrding slidable movement of the connecting Y ber ,providing a pivotal connection With vthe -10V Connecting rod and draw bar. Y Y

In testimony whereof I alix my s1gnature.

.10111111i RITENOUR. 

